Abstract: This  paper aims at exposing the inner contradiction of the free trade theory of the political economists of  the  18th century  through examining  their views  on  contemporary  Anglo-Chinese  trade.For  Josiah Tucker ,David Hume,and Adam Smith,free trade  was a  necessary condition for the further economic development of  England which  had reached the threshold  of industrial  society. Josiah Tucker  was so optimistic as to believe that free  trade  would profit all nations  involved,particularly powerful  nations like England.David Hume ,though fearing that free  trade in the long run would benefit the poor nations  at  the expense of the wealthy nations，curtailing  thus  England’s  advantages,saw free trade as a  major force behind economic  and  social progress.Adam Smith，the most  important free trade of the 18th century,emphasized  that free trade should be practical at all times、in  all  societies.It  was  unfworable  to  England.It is surprising  that  only Tucker ,who was confident in England’s economic  strength，maintained that England should go   on trading with China.Struck  by  China’s potential to undersell all  European nations.David Hume warned that Anglo-Chinese trade would  shake the  foundation  of  the English economy,and  Adam Smith excluded China from the free trade community  he  designed.
It is  true that the above scholars possessed little knowledge   of China  and they discussed  China only occasionally.Their views on Anglo-Chinese  trade，however，deserves our  attention，for they not only unveil the 18th  century political economists fear and  even hostility  to  China，but  also the narrow-minded nationalism that overshadowed political economy.